Palm Beach named one of the safest cities in Florida

Thursday

Security Baron, a private home security company, listed Palm Beach as one of the safest cities in Florida.

The Town of Palm Beach has been ranked one of the safest cities in Florida, according to news site Security Baron.

The security-based review, comparison and news site analyzed FBI rankings of crime rates to find out what the top 50 safest cities are in Florida, and what their safety score is.

The analysis found that Palm Beach, with a population of approximately 9,779 residents, emerged No. 8 on the list with an average safety score of 85.62 and a rate of 1.14 violent crimes per 1,000 citizens. The city also has a citizen-to-officer ratio of 7.06 per 1,000 people and a rate of 11.73 property crimes per 1,000 citizens.

In addition to population and rate of violent crimes per 1,000 residents, the safety score is based on the number of households, “violent crime trend,” “property crime trend,” median income and property crimes per 1,000 people. The FBI’s 2017 and 2016 Uniform Crime Reporting data was used to calculate the ratings, according to Security Baron.

Town Council member and Public Safety Committee chair Margaret Zeidman said that the Palm Beach Police Department has an “active posture” when it comes to following up on suspicious activity in town.

“If you’re here doing something you’re not supposed to be doing, you’re probably going to get pulled over,” Zeidman said. “I think that is very clear to criminals.”

Zeidman also said that Palm Beach has an “unbelievably high” crime clearance rate of approximately 60 percent.

“The main reason people move here is not just because Palm Beach is beautiful, but also because it’s safe,” Zeidman said.

Palm Beach Police Chief Nicholas Caristo said that one of the many reasons for the town’s safety rate is the department’s comprehensive approach to crime prevention.

“This includes a strong emphasis on community interaction and support with community awareness programs,” Caristo said. “We are continually upgrading our technology to ensure the best security is in place for our residents, and our serious approach investigate every crime.“